The School of Prayer: An Introduction to the Divine Office for All Christians

Rating:
Summary: Commentary, not a breviary
Review: Hi, This book is not a breviary or book of liturgy. It contains commentary on the divine office, instructions on praying the divine office and other essays. It actually does not have the liturgy in it. You can piece together the psalms and canticles from the commentary, but there's no hymns or other parts of the Hour. You need a book of liturgy to use this book. I'm not sure how good the commentaries are, I haven't read them yet. They may be quite good, but you still need another book to pray the Divine Office.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent companion to the breviary
Review: This small volume is a superb book, and I have given several copies to family members and fellow parishioners. The introductory chapters give a thorough explanation of the purpose and meaning of the Liturgy of the Hours, stressing that the Divine Office is intended for ALL Christians, not just the clergy, and not just Catholics. If only more Christians were aware of what a treasure we have in the Liturgy of the Hours!
To those not familiar with the Psalms, the introductory chapters give an excellent summary of this ancient and enduring form of prayer. Coming to the Divine Office as a lay person, I found Part 1 of this book provided an excellent foundation on which to build. At the end of Part 1, there is a helpful glossary and suggestions for further reading. Part 2 is a commentary, based on the structure of the complete Liturgy of the Hours found in the four volume set (Catholic Book Publishing Co. in the U.S.). I find the commentary is very sound and insightful, and helps deepen my appreciation for the Liturgy of the Hours.
Although this book is designed to accompany the full four volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours, it can easily be used by those using shorter breviaries, such as "Christian Prayer" or those who use the periodical "Magnificat". As the author says,"This book is written for all who are learning to pray". In this time of trial for our nation and the world, I believe the Liturgy of the Hours to be an indispensable help; this book serves as an excellent introduction.